Centrifugal separator.



PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

D; 'I'. SHARPLBSi ENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

'APPLICATION FILED OGT.1'7. 1905.

Dmzfz" 5757i, 51mm@ l y UNITED STATES Para rr einen.

DAVID TOWN-SEND SHARPLES, or .Was-fr our:l iran, PE'XNSYLVAI, ,i

CENTRIFUGAL EPARAT To all. whom it 7nayonrcern: fBe 1t .knowiiathat lefDsvm ToWNsEND SlerARPLES,'a.v citizen ofthe United States, re-v v siding at iNest-Chester, Chester county, State of Pennsylvani'aJhave invented certain new A and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Sepe arators, of which the following is a specification.

- My inventionrelates 4more particularly to :centrifugal liquid-separators; and my main r objects are to provide, iirst, lan improved tors, and means 'for securing these results have heretofore been provided in Whicli a fixed axial-feed nozzle has been employed in connection with a steadying device'adapted to limit swaying movement of the rotary vessel' and to maintain it inthe normal axis of rotation Wlthout disturbing action such as 1s 'ordinarily apt to occur. v My invention pro- .vides for. seculgiiigthese results in a novel through which the liquid is at--alltimes fed 4c" manner; and it consists, mainly, first, inreme ploymg a non-rotating steadymg-spmdle 4mounted axially in the rotary'vessel and ca pableof a limited lateral movement there- With, and, second, in roviding a feed-nozzle in .connection with said spindle, which latter forms anvaxial guide-stem `extending therefrom through the central feed-opening in 'the rotary vessel and around which an annular feed-passage is formed Within said opening,

centrally into the vessel.

" lh invention is fullvl described in connection With'the accompanying drawings, illus-` tratinga preferred Aapplication of the same, and the novell features are particularly pointed out 'in the claims.

Figure lis a partial front elevation, partly `in section,of a centrifugal liquideseparatorof the type illustrated in Patent No. 795,360, 1s l sued July'25, 1905, but showing m-y invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2'is an enlarged sectional view showing the lower portions of the rotary vessel 1n connection with my 1m.-

roved steadyingspindle and feed-nozzle.

lgs. 3 and 4 indicate modifications.

The drawings show a suspended rotary vessel lof tubular form, carried by a shaft 2,.

Specification of Letters Patent. A i Appleman@ october 17,1905( sean ia. 283,079.=

\ Patented aan; 29,' 1907.

hungnpon a top bearingprovided l :traine-13A and rotated by suitable .gearing'Y inv 'closed inthe casing 4, forniing'-part of :the k6o frame, a portion 5 of o which, also :ineseslth rotary Y-vessel.

The g' generalv ,construction operation, v are, similar to thatl described inthe patent y' abovereferred to, and-it will be readily understood thatl the rapid rotation of .the vessel` whileffeeding a co'mpounddiquid,such as milk, thereto effects the separation ofsuch liqf v uid into its constituent part s,-which`are separately discharged from vessel,g a`s vusual As already stated, my inventionrllates to *the novelmeans provided' for steadyng-@the vessel and maintaining it inthe normal .axis

of rotation and for feeding ythe liquid through the' central feedlopening-@into the rotating vessel, the main objects being to steady theA vvessel by means of a device operating at theaxis of the vessel and to maintain at all I times a'central feed into the vessel.. -These Qineans will now be specifically described as v The axial device for steady'ingjthe; rotatingvessel and restoring it to theinormal axis l -1 shown in the drawings,

of rotation when deiiecteld ,therefrom in any f1- Way during its operation' consists of a noni.

rotating spindle 10, which is passed ythroughthe feedfopening 6, ofthe vessel and loosely entered or passed through acentrally-,xed

bearing 7 in the vessel, Whichjbearing isv ar-f ranged to serve, as heretofore, to s'premi-@blV incoming jet of liquid .so tliatsit -Will be thrownv outward betweenthe radial'wings,

provided on thebettom of the vessel; lThis spindle or guide-stem l0 projects centrally through an annular openingy nozzle 12, fixed lto the end o v which extends, as usual, to a feed.-regul'ato rf` 'I cup 14 beneath the reservoir,1 5,I4 The spin-y l dle 10,. which extendsaxially throughfthe feed-opening.6, is preferably of ver r small dig arneterl-for instance, one-eighth o `an nicherojo and the' size of the annular. opening 11 re-- .v

quired for the passage ofthe liquid is so pass through a restricted annular passage"-f-- Way formed in the,feed-ripeningA 11 betniveen;

n the non-rotating spindle .10 andvv therotating 5 /Wall of such opening, and as -annular jet' v Q is at all times practically central in saidopening, as hereinafter explainedthe latter may i be of such srnallsize as teenable theinner rie creamavall ofithe-rctatingV liquid Ato-be ree f tained as near `as-pessible to the centerof ro- Y tation, which is of great advantage in practical operation, because of the lower velocity at which the separated constituents may be discharged.

The feed-nozzle l2, `as well as the projecting spindle or guide-stem 10, is so arranged,

as shown, as to be capableof a limited movei cup 14, which latter is free to move slightly,

grec,- as such action, if permitted, not only Y requires that the diameter of the cream-wall" as required, beneath the reservoir, a counterweight 18 servingl to balance the parts, as shown, sothat the spindle 10 and nozzle 12 will naturally tend toward the normal axis of rotation of the vessel though readil swung therefrom with the vessel itself, with the axis of which latter-they at all times remain practically in alinement, so as to constantly deliver the liquid centrally thereto. Inpractice this swaying movement of the vessel during its operation is very slight, and the movement of the nozzle 12 may be correspondingly limited, as by means ofa rubber ring 19, arranged to contact with the' inverted cup 2O in the frame-casing beneath the vessel, this cup, as shown, being also arranged to divert anyliquid that may possibl'yesca pe into the path of the inllowing jet.

While the suspended vessel shown is .running normally the spindle 1,0 is not acted upon by-i't, and the liquid is merely fed into the vessel in an annular stream hugging the spindle and clear of the rotating wall of the feed-opening. .lf from any cause the balance of the rotating vessel is temporarily impaired or a swaying movement in any way started, the spindle 10 comes into service as a s'lteadying means, the central bearing 7 therefor in the vessel coming promptly into lateral contact withthe spindle. Owing, in the first lace, to the nearness of the contacting sur'- -ace of the spindle to the centerl of rotation.

and, in the second place, to the delicate lateral ielding action thereof, no chattering or Wab- )ling eil'ect upon the rotary vessel is pro-- duced by such contact, while the free lubrication provided by the inlowing liquid still further eleminates friction and wear. Thus the swaying tendency is quickly and smoothly overcome andthe normal action restored. Notwithstanding that Vthe swa ing movement is thus promptly and-deficately restrained and limited in extent it is evidently desirable that the inilowing jet of liquid shall not be thrown into'the vessel out of center therewith even to this limited debe correspondihgly greater than is otherwise requisite, but itself tends to produce swaying action ofthe vessel by unevenlv distributing the construction shown.

natural axis of rotation instead of having aAA` mechanical ly-iixed axis, which, thoughit vary but slightly from the natural'axis,-causes considerable friction and trouble. nozzle, as well as the steadying-spindle, readily follows the vessel into the 'natural axis in I t will be readily understood that my invention may be a )plied in differentV ways from that'specilicaily'shown and described. In Fig. 3, for instance, the vessel is carried 'uponthe spindle 10"L by means of a stepbearing 7, the annular feed-nozzle 12 beingin this case suitably iixed to the frame, orv obviously the Fig. 2 construction may be applied to the to i instead of the bottom o f the vessel, as in( icatcd. The flexibility of the spindle 10 may be relied upon to give the lateral yield required for steadying the vessel, though the lateral movement of the feednozzle with the spindle, :is-provided for, is preferable. Fig. 4 indicates a modification in which my movable feed-nozzle 'is cmployed'inde-- pcndently of the steadying-spindle shown in the preferred construction, the movable nozzle 12 in this case forming part of a dragf The feedring 25, loosely inclosing the neck 9 of the vessel and movable with the swaying vessel to steady the same, as more fully described in Patent No. 706,088, issued August 5, 1902, to H. McCormack, the contact of the swaying rotating vessel with the steadying device being in this'construction at a considerable distance from the center of rotation instead of. closel adjacent thereto, .as when my preferre steadying-spindle is em loyed,but

the novel feature of automatica ly shifting vthe non-rotating nozzle laterallywith the swaying rotary vessel, so as to maintaina practically central feed notwithstanding temporary movement of the axis of the vessel from the normal axis of rotation being retained.

What I'claim is- 1. In a centrifugal liquid-separator the combination with a vertically-mounted rotary vessel having an end feed-opening and an axial steadying-bcaring adjacent thereto,

axially of a non-rotating spindle extending d stea ythrough said feed-opening into sai ing-bearing.

2. In a centrifugal liquid-separator the combination with a vertically-mounted rotaryfvessel having an end feed-opening and` an axial `steadyin V-bearing adjacent thereto, ofan annular fee -nozzle for said vessel provided with a non-rotatingispindle extendin axially through said'fee(Lopeniiig into saiiljsteadying-bearmg to forni an annular feed vided with a non-rotating spindle extending laxially through said feed-opening into said steadying-bearing to form a'n annularfeedpassage between said non-'rotating spindle and the rotary feed-opening wall', said spindle 'being laterally yielding to swaying iiiove- `V ment of the v essel.

4.7111 a centrifugal liquid-separator the combination with a rotary separator .vessel having lan end feed-opening, of an annular feed-nozzle for .said vessel having an axial guide-stem projected through said opening and centered in the latter to forni an annui ar feed-passage around the stem, said nozzle being adapted to swing approximately concentrieally with the swing of the free end. of theA vessel.

5. ln a/.centrifugal liquid-separator the combination with a vertically-mounted row` tary vessel having a carriermechanism adjacent one end thereof and provided with an axial steadying-bearing adjacent the opposite Vfree end, of a non-rotating movablespindle entered in said bearing and serving to restrict 'swaying movement of the vessel.

(i. In a centrifugal liquid-separator the combination with a vertically-mouiited rotary vessel having-a carrier mechanism adjaeent one end thereof and provided with an axial steadyiiig-bearing adjacent the -opposito 'l` ree end` oi" a non-rotating swinging spindle entered in said bearing and serving to restr-ict swaying movement of the vessel.

7. In a centrifugal liquid-separator the combination with a ver-tically-mounted"ro-v tary vessel havinga carrier mechanism adj aeen't-onc end thereof and piovided 'with an axial steadying-bearing adjacent the opposite free end, of a non-rotating swinging spindle entered in said bearing and so hung as to'tend tolvvard the normal axis of rotation of the-vesse 8. Ina centrifugal machine the combination with a vertically mounted separator vessel of a carrier mechanism 'adjacent one and 0f S2116. Vessel and a non-rotating swing?- ing spindle for the other end so hung as to tend. toward the normalaxis of rotation of the vessel.

9. In a centrifugal. liquid-separator the -combination with a vertically-mounted separator vessel having an end feed-opening at one end, of a laterally-movable feedn0zzle and a non-rotating steadying-spmdle for-said vessel, substantially` as set forth.

10. In a centrifugal liquid-separatorthe combination with a rotary separator vessel 'having an end feed-opening, of a nonfrotating fced-nozzle arranged-to move laterally with' theswaying of the vessel.

11. In a centrifugal liquid-separator the combination with a vertically-mounted separator vessel having an end feed-opening at one end, of a laterally-movable feed-nozzle carrying a non-.rotating steadying-spindle for said vessel.

l2. In a, centrifugal liquid-separator the combination with a vertically-mounted separater vessel having an end feed-opening at one end, of a lateiilly-iiiovable feed-nozzle carrying a flexible non-rotating steadyingspindle for said vessel.

In testimony lwhereof I' affix my signature in the presenceof two witnesses. i i vDAVID 'IOWNSIIND SlIAltllillS. 

